THESCIENTIFIC MONTHLY

SEPTEMBER, 1933

THE CALAKMUL EXPEDITION' By Dr. SYLVANUS G. MORLEY ARCHEOLOGIST OF CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON

THE expeditionreached on Dimas, a station on the tram-linebe- April 5, where Mr. J. C. Brydon, man- tween Kanasayab and La Gloria, several ager of the Mexican Exploitation Com- days in advance. Mr. Brydon had also pany, met the party. The equipment engaged two automobiles to take the A I __ ;1 1 5 'I ;1 1E -I _A- - _ A - A _L d C! A _ party the next lap of the journey to the 1 Dr. Sylvanus G. Morley, archeologist in hacienda of San Dimas, 55 miles distant. charge of the field work in Yucatan for Car- Afteran eight-hourdrive, the latter part negie Institution of Washington, headed an expedition, which was sent into an uninhabited over an all but impassable wood road part of southern Campeche for the purpose of through the forest, the expedition examining the ruins of an ancient , reached San Dimas at eleven o'clock the discovered a few months before by Mr. C. L. same night,where it was mosthospitably Lundell, an employee of a chicle company oper- received by Mr. Sancihez,local manager ating in the reg-ion. When on a scouting trip for his company, Lundell, on December 29, of the Montana Company,and quartered 1931, came upon jungle-covered ruins to which at the hacienda house. he gave the name " Calakmul," which means, The next lap of the journey was made in the Maya tongue, "two adjoining mounds," over a Deceauville tram on small plat- a naine having significance,as Lundell thought, form because the two highest pyramids, each about cars, ten feet long, drawn by two 150 feet in height, stood close together. Lun- mules tandem withoutreins, the mules dell took photographs and made a sketch map being attached to the platform by a of the site. A little later, these came into the single pair of traces. At four o 'clock hands of Dr. Morley, who identified the ruins on the afternoon as being those of an Old Empire City which of April 6, the expedi- had been built to the north of the known limits tion reached La Gloria,the chicle station of the Old Empire region. Because of its loca- of Don Francisco Buenfil. tion so far north, Morley believed the ruins to Don Francisco Buenfil,of Merida and be of sufficientscientific importance to justify the organization of an expedition to visit it and Campeche, is the largest private chicle to make a thorough study of its principal fea- operator in the state of Campeche. He tures. Obtainiing approval of his plan from had visited earlier in the the Mexican government and from Carnegie 1932 season and wheiihe learned of the Institution,the expedition left fieldheadquarters at Chichen Itza, Yucatan, , on April 3, Institution's contemplatedexpedition to 1932. Its personnel consisted of Dr. Morley, Calakmul had generously placed the director, Karl Ruppert, archeologist, J. S. facilities of his organization at its ser- Bolles, architectaiid surveyor,Gustav Stromsvik, vice. Occasion should be taken here to engineer,Mrs. Morley, in charge of the commis- sary, and two camp assistants. Dr. Morley state that the success of the Calakmul here gives an account of the journey and of the expeditionwas due in large measure to results obtained. the generous assistance received f'rom 193

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MAP OF YUCATAN SHOWING LOCATION OF NEWLY DISCOVERED CITY O:F CALAKMUJL, SOUTHERN CAMPECHE, MEXICO. HEAVY BLACK LINE INDICATES ROUTE :FOLLOWED BY CARNEGIE. INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON EXPEDITION FROM CHICHEN ITZA TO CALAKMUL. the members of Mr. Buenfil's efficient In the akalches, or swamps,the lower organizationat all stoppingplaces from bush is cleared to a width of about 100 Campeche to Calakmul. feet so that. the sun may reach these The journey beyond La Gloria was mnarshyplaces. Althoughthese iuarshes made in a five-tontruck over chicle were nearly dry at the time the expedi- trails that are utterly impassable for tion passed through them, several bogs motortransport during the rainy season, were traversedwhich necessitated chain- and not nmuchbetter during the dry sea- ing shortlogs to the rear wheels to pro- son. The stretchfronmI La Gloria to Cen- vide sufficienttraction in the bottomless tral Buenfil,a distance of 70 miles, was mud. covered in 27 consecutivehours, includ- The expeditionwas cordiallyreceived ing eight hours out for sleep in the at Central Buenfil by Don Manuel midstof the forest. Osorno, the general manager, and ar- The expeditionleft La Gloria at 3 :15 rangements were made with him for on the afternoonof April 7 and reached nmulesto transportthe party and outfit Central Buenfil at 6 :15 the following the remainingseven miles south to the afternoon,after a nerve-racking,muscle- ruins of Calakmul. beating journey. The truck-pass over Thirtymules, includingpack animals, the hills was narrow,the truck scraping were required to transportthe person- the bushes and trees on either side and nel and outfitfrom Central Buenfil to breaking off the lower branches as it Calakmul. Fifteen laborers were em- lumberedalong. ployed during the fifteendays' stay at

This content downloaded from 129.252.86.83 on Fri, 06 Nov 2015 05:10:06 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE CALAKMUL EXPEDITION 195 the site (April 9-24) and two camp The Carnegie Institution's Calakmul cooks. expedition, during the 15 days it was The firstafternoon (April 9) was de- at thesite, discovered 41 additionalstelae, voted to making camp, putting up tent bringingthe total of knownstelae at this covers -forsleeping quarters and mess site to 103, the largest numberby 27 per hall, building a kitchenstove and table, cent. yet reported from any other city and arranging the outfit,supplies, sad- of the . The nearest dles, tools,etc. competitorto Calakmul in this respect The followingday was one of the most is in northernGuatemala, wAhich remarkable in the writer's twenty-five contains a total of 75 stelae, of which, years of tropical exploration. With the however,only 18 (i.e., less than 25 per Lundell sketch map as, a guide, the.in- cent.) are sculptured. The Old Ellipire stitution party set out to explore the site having the largestinumber of sculp- area covered by the map. Lltndell had tured stelae previously reported is Pie- enumerated 64 stelae, or sculptured dras Negras,in northeasternGuatemala hieroglyphicmonuments, of which the with a total of 45. expeditionwas able to find all. but two. Calakmul, on the other hand, has at One of the missingtwo was the unsculp- least 74 surely sculpturedstelae, and of tured rectangularaltar on the summitof the remaining29 it is practicallycertain the substructuresupporting the middle that another half dozen originally had building of StruetureD, which Lundell been sculptured,although their carving had mistakenfor a sculpturedstela; the has entirely disappeared owing to the otherwas not found in the positionindi- softness of the limestone which was cated on his sketchmap and it appears used and the excessive weatherinigto probable that he must have confusedit which the stelae have been subjected. with some otherstela already accounted It is thereforehardly an exaggerationto for elsewhere. This reduced the total of say that originally Calakmul probably stelae foundby Lundell to 62. had almost twice as many sculptured

PLATFORM CAR DRAWN BY TWO MULES, TANDEM USED IN HAULING OUT BLOCKS OF CHICLE (CRUDE CHEWING GUM) FROM THE INTERIOR. THE CALAKMUL EXPEDITION PERSONNEL AND BAGGAGE TRAVELED FOR FIFTY MILES ON THESE PLAT- FORM CARS.

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THREE SCULPTURED STELAE AT SOUTI:HWESTERN CORNER OF STRUCTURE E. THE MONUMENT AT THE RIGHT HAS A WILD FIG TREE GROWING ON TOP OF IT, THE ROOTS COVERING THE FRONT. stelae as any otherMaya site yet discov- ber of minor excavations looking for ered. stratifieddeposits of potsherds; he also The work of the expedition was di- made a study of the small stone arti- vided as follows: The writer devoted facts which were found, such as me- his time to the , assisted by tates,2 grinders,etc. Mr. Stromsvikwho took entirecharge of One of the most imnportantresults of turningthe heavy fallen monoliths,some the expedition was the discoveryof no weighing as much as five or six tons, less than 51 Initial Series, the largest many ] aying with their sculpturedfaces number of these amazingly accurate downward. Mrs. Morley took charge of time-countsor dates ever found at any the photography;Mr. Ruppert made a other Old Empire city except Copan in study of the architeeture,though only . Of this numberit was possi- one building, Structure C, was suffi- ble to decipher the dates of 42, surely; ciently preserved to allow a detailed of two more, probably; and of nine, ground-plan to be made of it without more doubtfully. In addition to these excavation. Mr. Bolles made a surveyed 51 Initial Series, four Period-Ending iap of the centerof the site, coveringan dates were identified. In all, the dates area about threefifths of a mile long by of about half of the 103 stelae found at about half a mile wide, and located the Calakmul may be said to have been cor- positions of all mounds and mionuments rectlydeciphered. thereupon. Bolles also determinedthe The dates of the Calakmul stelae, in latitude of Calakmul as 180 2' N. and the so far as they have been deciphered,ar- longitudeas about 890 52' W. Finally, 2 The name generally applied to the stone in addition to his work in turning the slabs or blocks upon which the American In- fallen stelae, Mr. Stroinsvikmade a num- dian grinds his corn.

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LIST oF DATES DECIPHaED AT CALAKMUL

Date in Date in Christian Monument Maya Kind of Date Chronology1 Chronology2

Stela 43 9. 4. 0. 0. 0 254 A.D. Initial Series C C " 28 9. 9.10. 0. 0 364 c C " 29 9. 9.10. 0. 0 364 " C C " 1 9.10. 0. ?. 5 373 CC C " 9 9.10.16.16.19 390 " C " 32 9.11. 5. 0. 0(d) 398 " " " C " 33 9.11. 5. 0. 0(e) 398 "CC CC C " 35 9.11. 8.10. 8 402 C " 353 9.11.10. 0. 0 403 " " 36 9.11.10. 0. 0 403 39 9.11.10. 0. 0 403 " " " "' 94 9.12. 0. 0. 0 412 Period-Ending " 13 9.12. 0. 0. 0 412 Initia eries " 74 9.12. 0. 0. 0(?) 412 " " " " 75 9.12. 0. 0. 0 412 " " " " 86 9.12. 0. 0. 0 412 " 76 9.12. 5. 0. 0 418 " " " " 70 9.12. 8. 9. 9 421 " " " 777 9.12.10. 0. 0 423 " 93 9.12.10. 0. 0 423 " " " " 94 9.12.10. 0. 0 423 " 79 9.13. 0. 0. 0?) 432 " " " " 23 9.13.10. 0. 0 442 " " " " 24 9.13.10. 0. 0 442 " 38 9.13.10. 0. 0(n?) 442 " " 40 9.13.10. 0. 0 442 "" " " 41 9.13.10. 0. 0(1?~) 442 "" " 71 9.14. 0. 0. 0 452 " " " " 72 9.14. 0. 0. 0 452 " 73 9.14. 0. 0. 0 452 " " " 8 9.14.10. 0. 0 462 " " 46 9.14. e {4 1 " 51 9.14.19. 5. 0 471 " " " " " 52 9.15. 0. 0. 0 471 "" 53 9.15. 0. 0. 0 471 " Period-Ending " 54 9.15. 0. 0. 0 471 "Initial Series " 55 9.15. 0. 0. 0 471 " " " " 48 9.15. 0. 0. 0 471 " CC" c" 471 " 89 9.15. 0. 0.14 c " 26 9.15. 5. 0. 0 477 "CC C " 482 " 25 9.15.10. 0. 0 " CC C " 27 9.15.10. 0. 0 482 " 59 9.15.10. 0. 0 482 " CC" " " 60 9.15.10. 0. 0(n ) 482 " 62 9.16. 0. 0. 0 491 " Period-Ending 511 Series " 57 9.17. 0. 0. 0 "Initial CC C " 58 9.17. 0. 0. 0 511 " " 80 9.18. 0. 0. 0 530 " " " 67 9.18.10. 0. 0 541 " " " " " 69 9.18.10. 0. 0 541 "" 15 9.19. 0. 0. 0 550 " Period-Ending " 16 9.19. 0. 0. 0 550 " Initial Series ' 64 9.19. 0. 0. 0(Q?) 550 " 39 9.- . . 0. 0 .. " 45 9. ?.Io. 0. 0

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STELAE 28 AND 29, THE TWO OLDEST MONUMENTS AT CALAKMUL THEY STAND ON THE; NORTEH SIDE OF STRUCTURE E AND WERE BOTH ERECTED ON THE SAME DAY, 9.9.10.0.0 IN THE MAYA CHRONOLOGY, WHICH CORRESPONDS TO 364 A.D. IN THE CHRISTIAN CHRONOLOGY, ACCORDING TO THE MORLEY-SPINDEN CORRELATION. ranged in their chronologicalorder, are comparison. Doubtfully deciphered given in the accompanying table; the dates are marked with a single interro- name of the monumentappears in the gation point and very doubtfully de- firstcolumn; the correspondingdate in ciphered dates with two interrogation Maya chronology,in the second column; points. the correspondingequivalent in Chris- In the light of its sculptured monu- tian chronology,according to the Mor- mentsCalakmul stands revealed to us as ley-Spinden correlation, in the third a large, somewhat provincial city of column;3 and the kind of date, i.e., Class 2, whichreached the point of erect- whether an Initial Series or a Period- ing sculptured stone monumentsat the Ending, in the fourth column. The close of the Early Period (9.9.10.0.0) correspondingterminal dates of these (see accompanying photograph) and Initial Series and Period-Ending dates continuedthe practise until toward the 1iANTI3 ban" (Vmittd++a fovr .n"1vnin"O in close of the Great Period (9.19.0.0.0) at which time this site seems to have 3 According to the Goodman-Martinez-Thomp- son correlation of Maya and Christian chronol- been abandoned,or at least a stage in its ogy the dates in the third column are 259 years social, governmentaland economic dis- later. organizationhad been reached when it

1 As noted in the text, 9.4.0.0.0 probably is not the contemporaneous cdate of Stela 43 but a date perhaps as much as two centuries later. 2 Morley-Spinden Correlation. 3 Stela 35 has two Initial Series, though only the second, 9.11.10.0.0, records the contempo- raneous date of this monument. 4 Although Stela 9 has two Initial Series, the contemporaneous date of this monument is re- corded by a Period-Ending date, 9.12.0.0.0.

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tion of two, three,four and in one ease (9.15.0.0.0) even seven differentmuonu- ments,one of which,Stela 51, is shown. No other city of the Old Empire dis- played sueh consistent prodigality in the erectionof its period markersas did Calakmul. Occasionally,at other cities, two nonumentsor evenmore were erected on the same period-ending, but at Calakmul it is safe to say that practi- cally every lahuntutnand katin-ending between 9.9.10.0.0 and 9.19.10.0.0 was conmmemoratedby the erectionof more than one monument. WThilethe sequence of the hotnn, or 5-yearperiod markers,is by no means as complete at Calakmul as it is either at Piedras Negras or at Quirigua, the num- ber of stelae found at Calakmul (because several rather than one were regularly erected at the lahuntun and katun end- ings) is actually nearly two and a half times as large as the number of stelae found at Piedras Negras and nearlynine times as large as the number found at Quirigua. Provincial as the city seems THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT to have been, judging fromthe art of its AT CALAKMUL sculpturedmonuments, when it came to IT IS LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE PYRAMID SUP- mass PORTING STRUCTURE A. THIS STELA (STELA 51) production, Calakmul may fairly BEARS A DATE WHICH CORRESPONDS TO 471 A.D., be said to have surpassed every other ACCORDING TO THE MORLEY-SPINDEN CORRELA- city of the Maya civilizationnow known. TION. WHEN DISCOVERED IT WAS LYING WITH The Initial Series of Stela 43 surely ITS, SCULPTURED FACE, TO THE GROUND WHICH reads 9.4.0.0.0, more than a century ACCOUNTS FOR ITS EXCELLEN'T' STATE OF PRESER- earlier than the next earliest date, VATION. 9.9.10.0.0, recorded on two different monuments Stelae 28 and 29. How- was no longer able to erect stone monn- ever,the stylisticcharacteristics of Stela ments of any kind, either seulptured or 43 are such as to indicate stronglythat unsenlptnred. it had been executed at a much later The dates on the Calakmul stelae in- date than 9.4.0.0.0, possibly as much as dicate that the inhabitants of this an- two centurieslater. Further, the other cient city markedthe ends of the succes- dated monumentsassociated with Strue- sive five-yearperiods of the Long Count ture 1, in front of which Stela 43 is -the hotutns-notonly by the erection located, all date from9.13.10.0.0 (Stelae of a single sculpturedmonument, as was 38, 40 and 41), nearly two centuries usually the case, but occasionally, par- later than 9.4.0.0.0. Finally, there are ticularly on the lahuntun and katun- a number of Calendar Round dates in endings (i.e., the ends of the 10- and 20- the inscriptionon Stela 43, which, al- year periods successively) by the eree- though apparently without connecting

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SecondarySeries numbers,may be much west of the Ball Court. By chance, one later than 9.4.0.0.0-perhaps as late as of the lines of sight for the survey 9.13.10.0.0-any one of which may crossed this outerop, which was com- recordthe dedicatorydate of this monu- pletely covered with fallen leaves and mnent. humus soil save for a small section,per- Mr. Bolles found that the two princi- haps three feet in diameter, lying di- pal mnounds,Structures A and B (see rectlyin theline of clearing. map of the city), are about the same One of the workmen happened to height, approximately150 feet. How- notice that a human head of heroic size ever, since StructureA is built on some- was carved in profilein deep relief-six what higher ground than Structure B, inches-on the exposed upper face of the latter is in realitythe higheras well as very much the larger, covering an area 425 feet square, compared to an area, roughly 250 feet square, covered by StructureA. StruetureB also, judg- ing from the dates of the monuments associated with it, is 30 years older than Structure A, having been dedicated in 9.13.10.0.0, whereas the seven stelae associated with Structure A were clearly dedicated on the katutn-ending, 9.15.0.0.0. The only building sufficientlypre- served to permit the reconstructionof its ground plan is StructureC, of which Mr. Ruppert made a close architectural study and measured ground plan (see accompanyingplan). This building is composed of two wings at right angles to the main middle section and it had originallytwelve chambersand probably a .4 As Bolles was scouting through the forest with his gang of bush cutters opening the main lines of sight for the base map, he discovered many new monumentsnot found by Lundell. In fact, most of the 41 new stelae reported by the Calakmul expeditionwere found by Bolles in his explorationof the site incident to making the survey for the base map. An interestingdiscovery was that of a large sculptured outcrop of limestone near the middle of a small plaza just DATE GLYPHS ON STELA 89 ON THE 4 The roof-comb in , as its A BEAUTIFULLY CARVED MONUMENT, FOUND name implies, is a superstructurebuilt on the SUMMIT OF STRUCTURE A, WHICH BEARS GLYPHS roof of Maya buildings for decorative purposes. CORRESPONDING TO 471 A.D. OF OUR CHRONOLOGY.

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STRUCTURE C, LOOKING NORTH THIS IS THE ONLY STRUCTURE AT CALAKMUL SUFFICIENTLY PRESERVED TO PERMIT THE RECON- STRUCTION OF ITS GROUND PLAN. ORIGINALLY IT CONSISTED OF TWELVE CHAMBERS ARRANGED IN TO WINGS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE MAIN MIDDLE SECTIONS (SEE GROUND PLAN).

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this rock (see illustration). When this ing worked. While by no means unique, outeropwas finallycleared it was found definitelyidentified quarries at Maya to be an irregular oval, the long axis sites are sufficientlyrare to merit com- measuring 21 feet, the short axis, 17 ment,and the one found this season at feet. Calakmul is perhaps as good an example The entire top of the outcrop was of this kind yet reportedfrom any Old sculptured with six or seven nude Empire site. hunmanfigures, the tallest being nine After turning the fallen monuments, feet in height; all these had their arms Stromsvikdevoted the r-emainderof his bound behind their backs, the cords timeto minorexcavations, chiefly trench- showing clearly. There are several ing in front of some of the standing glyph-panelsscattered over the outcrop stelae, in search of potsherds,of which a but, due to the fact that these had been surprisinglylarge numberwere brought exposed to a maximumof weatheringas well as to the fact that their relief was much lower than that of the captive figures,the interiordetails of the signs had entirelydisappeared. Other carving on outcrops of living rock in the Maya area of similar char- acter are: the sculpturedtoad on a pro- jectingledge of thenative andesite on the south side of the Copan Valley in Hon- duras;5 the so-called Sacrificial Rock at

Piedras Negras, Guatemalaj6 and the I- - - - r stalking jaguar, sculptured on a flat outcrop of limestone at Chichen Itzia, Yucatan, Mexico.7 Mr. Strom.svikbuilt a platform17 feet above this sculptured rock at Calakmul,from which the design was photographedby flashlightat night. Anotherfind, possibly more significant scientifically,was Bolles' discoveryof an ancient quarry a shortdistanee northof the Main Plaza. Here two large blocks of stone, which, judging by their size and shape, probably had been initended foruse as door lintels,are only partially quarried, one end and one narrow edge to light. In fact, five ten-gallongaso- of each still remainingfast to the bed linie boxes of fragmentswere brought of liMPRestonpfrom wTi0lh th'7orX w hom back to ChichenJtza, probably the larg- 5 "The Inscriptions at Copan," Carnegie In- est collectionof potsherds-ever- obtained stitution of Washington, Pub. No. 219, by Syl- fromally Old Empire site. In addition vanus G. Morley, pp. 377, 378. to this work,S-tromsvik was able to 6 " col- vResearches in the Central Part of the lect parts-(sometimes the entire Usumatsintla Valley, " piece) Memoirs Peabody Mu- of at least 15 differentmet seunm,Harvard University, Vol. II, No. 1, by ates. Theobert Maler, p. 42, and plate VII, No. 1. One of Ruppert's laborers reported 7 Carnegie Institution of Washington Year having seen, two years before,a group Book, 1923, p. 216. of ruins some 15 to 18 miles by trail

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hammock. The next morning,with great eourage and fortitude,although still suf- fering from fever, he dragged himuself about the ruins until ten o'clock, when he collapsed. In spite of the verylimited time avail- able and iR-uppert's serious illness an incredible amount of work was accom- plished. In place of the three sculp- tured nmonumentsreported by the chiclero, 23 monuments were found. SCULPTURED OUTCROP OF NATIVE The site, Bolles reports, is located on LIMESTONE two large terraced platformson either SHOWING THE HEAD OF THE PRINCIPAL FIGURE. side of a small ravine. He had time to AN AREA 17 FEET BY 21 FEET IS COVERED WITH make a sketchmap of only the western SEVEN CAPTIVE FIGURES REPRESENTED WITH ARMS platformwhere the 23 stelae are located. BOUND BEHIND THEIR BACKS. THE LONGEST OF A hasty explorationof the eastern plat- THESE MEASURES NINE FEET. form,however, failed to bring to light any othermonuments, though such may northeast of Central Buenfil near the neverthelessbe there,he believes. formerchicle camp of La Muneca. In addition to the usual mounds,pyramids and fallen structures,now overgrownby the forest,he statedthat therewere three carved stones like those at Calakmul, two standing and one fallen, with "let- ters" on them," letters" being the gen- eral designationfor hieroglyphicsamong chictlreos throughout the Old Empire region. It was obvious that this in- formant was describing a site where therewere at least threesculptured stone monuments. Messrs. Ruppert and Bolles, having completedtheir work at Calakmul a day beforethe other membersof the expedi- tion were ready to leave, decided to pay a brief visit to the newly reported site near La Muneca. They left Calakmul on the morning of April 23, reaching Central Buenfil in time for an early lunch, then pushed on to the new site the same afternoon. In the dry season the nearest water to this site is four or fivemiles away and it was necessaryfor OUTCROP OF NATIVE LIMESTONE the party to make a dry camp. TWENTY-ONE FEET LONG AND 15 FEET WIDE, ON That same afternoonRuppert, while WHICH APPEAR THE SCULPTURED FIGURES OF SIX making a preliminary examination of PRISONERS. A PLATFORAI WAS BUILT 17 FEET the ruins, was strickenwith his firstat- ABOVE THIS OUTCROP IN ORDER TO PHOTOGRAPH tack of fever and obliged to take to his THE FIGURES.

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Althoughneither member of the party The discovery of this late date on is an epigrapher,they were both able to Stela 16 is perhaps the most important identify,in their very eursoryexaluina- single contributionfrom this new site. tion of the mnonuments,at least four It is anotherlink in the ever-strengthen- Initial Series, of which they deciphered ing cultural chain binding the northern the dates of three: half of the Yucatan Peninsula to the Stela 4 9.18. 0. 0. 0 530 A.D. southernhalf and indicatesthat the Old " 3 9.19. 0. 0. 0 550 A.D. Empire came to its clo.se,or at least to " 16 10. 2. 0. 0. 0 610 A.D. the close of monumentbuilding activ- 17 e ities, some time during the firstquarter The firstrecords the same katun-end- of Baktutn 10. Messrs. Ruppert and ing as Stela 80 at Calakmul, and the Bolles,rejoined the rest of the expedition second the same katutn-endingas Stelae at Central Buenfil on the evening of 15, 16 and 64 at Calakmul. Stela 16 at April 24. the new site records the date 10.2.0.0.0. Early next morninga start was made This date is (1) 60 years later than the by truckfor La Gloria. A brokensteer- latest date at Calakmul; (2) 10 years ing knuckle delayed the expedition 24 earlier than the only surely deciphered hours. Finally, at four o'clock on the date at Chichen Itza; (3) 20 years afternoonof April 27, the expeditionleft earlier than the latest dated monument La Gloria on two train-carsfor the fifty- in the Old Empire region; and (4) 40 mile ride to Kanasayab on the Champo- years later than the latest dated object ton River, the head of navigation for 4?.m +h "Mb1A 8 motor-boats during the dry season, 8 This is a tubular jade bead found by Dr. reaching ther-eat four o'clock Thomas Gann on the Rio Hondo in British the next Honduras ia 1931. It recordsthe date 10.4.0.0.12 morning,where a nmotor-boatwas wait- Ahamt340 as Period-Ending. ing to carrythe expeditionand its outfit

AN ANCIENT QUARRY ON THE NORTHERN OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY Two BLOCKS OF STONE ARE HERE SHOWN IN COURSE OF BEING QUARRIED FROM AN OUTCROP OF THE NATIVE LIMFUSTONE OF THE REGION.

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LA GLORIA, CAMPECHE ON THE ROUTE TRAVERSED BY THE CALAKMUL EXPEDITION. AT THIS POINT CHANGE WAS MADE FROM PLATFORM CARS DRAWN BY MULES TO A FIVE-TON MOTOR TRUCK WHICH CARRIED THE PARTY THROUGH THE HEART OF THE RAIN FOREST TO WITHIN A FEW MILES OF CALAKMUL. to Champotonat the mouthof the river monuments,at the very heart of the of the same name. Yucatan Peninsula, midwaybetween the Here the expeditionchanged to a small earlier cities of northern schoonerwith auxiliary engine and pro- (the Old Maya Empire) and the later ceeded by sea to Campeche. The Insti- cities of northern Yucatan (the New tution party, again most hospitablyen- Maya Empire), fills a geographicblind tertainedby Mr. and Mrs. Brydon, left spot in our picture of Maya civilization Campeche for Merida the next day. and satisfactorilybridges the gap be- Messrs. Ruppert, Bolles and Stromsvik tween the two regions. returnedto Chichen Itza, April 30, the A number of other archeological sites writer and Mrs. Morley the next day, described as having sculptured monu- May 1, having been absent fromChichen ments, located in the same general region Itz'a just four weeks to the day. as Calakmul, not onily in southern Perhaps the greatestscientific contri- Campeche but also across the line in the bution of the Calakmul expedition is niorthern part of the Departlment of the discoveryof such a large and defi- Peten, Guatemala, hitherto unvisited by nitely Old Empire city having such a scientific expeditions, were reported to wealth of sculptured monumentsso far the writer and it is planned to send an- north as the southernpart of the state other expedition into this, new archeo- of Campeche. Previous expeditions,also logical sub-province during the next field workingfrom the north, had found in season (1933). Indeed, perhaps the central Campechesites morecharacteris- most important immediate result of the tic ofthe New Empire cities of the north Calakmul expedition may be said to be than of the Old Empire cities of the the opening up, the first general notice, south. The discoveryof Calakmul, with so to speak, of this. scientifically signifi- a definiteOld Empire flavor,both in its cant region, the no-man's-landbetween architectureas well as in its sculptured the Old and New Maya Empires.

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